Cleaning vehicle

ABSTRACT

A cleaning vehicle is provided with: a chassis; a brush for cleaning a road surface; a user placement portion which is provided rearward of the brush in the chassis, and which has an operating handle; and an electrical unit for driving the brush. The cleaning vehicle is provided with a battery case which holds a removable battery, and which is thereby capable of supplying electric power from the battery to the electrical unit. In the battery case, an opening portion through which the battery can be inserted is exposed to the outside of the chassis forward of the brush.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cleaning vehicle for cleaning a road surface based on power supply from a battery.

BACKGROUND ART

JP H08-066344 A discloses a floor-cleaning machine (cleaning vehicle) for cleaning a floor surface by rotating a roller-shaped cleaning brush. This floor-cleaning machine rotates a wheel together with the cleaning brush based on power supply from a battery installed in the machine body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the case of such an electric cleaning vehicle disclosed in JP H08-066344 A, if the power of the battery runs out during a cleaning operation, the cleaning operation is interrupted. For this reason, it is conceivable that for the cleaning vehicle a detachable battery be employed that can be easily detached from the machine and charged (or replaced with another battery), for example, between cleaning operations.

However, when such a detachable battery is employed, there is a concern that dust rising during the cleaning operations may enter into, for example, a battery case (holding portion) that houses the battery. If dust enters, faulty contact or failure of the battery terminal may be caused.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning vehicle to or from which a battery can be easily attached or detached and that can prevent a battery holding unit or the battery from being made dirty.

In order to achieve the aforementioned object, one aspect of the present invention is a cleaning vehicle including a chassis; a cleaning portion provided at a lower portion of the chassis to clean a road surface; a user placement portion provided further rearward than the cleaning portion at the chassis and including a gripping portion that is gripped by a user; an electrical unit configured to drive the cleaning portion; and a battery holding portion configured to hold a attachable and detachable battery and thereby supply electric power from the battery to the electrical unit, wherein the battery holding portion includes an opening through which the battery is inserted, and the opening is exposed to an outside of the chassis at a position further forward than the cleaning portion.

In the case of the cleaning vehicle described above, the battery can be easily attached and detached, and it is possible to reliably prevent the battery holding portion or the battery from being fouled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a cleaning vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the cleaning vehicle.

FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram where a user puts a battery in a battery case. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing an initial stage of battery insertion. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view showing an intermediate stage of the battery insertion.

FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of each element of the cleaning vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of a cleaning vehicle according to a variation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a cleaning vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an electric working vehicle equipped with a detachable battery 12 and operated based on power supply from the battery 12. The cleaning vehicle 10 has a chassis 16 having a cleaning brush 14 (cleaning portion) and also has a plurality of wheels 18 for the chassis 16 to travel. The battery 12 supplies power, whereby the wheels 18 rotate and the cleaning vehicle 10 travels on a road surface R and in addition, a brush 14 operates to remove dust, dirt, snow and suchlike on the road surface R.

The cleaning vehicle 10 travels in the longitudinal direction of the chassis 16 with the rotation of the wheels 18. In the present embodiment, a “front-rear direction” of the cleaning vehicle 10 is a direction in the longitudinal direction (vehicle length direction) of the chassis 16. The term “front portion (front)” refers to one end side in the longitudinal direction of the chassis 16 (a direction toward one end in the longitudinal direction) and refers to a traveling direction or a distal end portion in a direction in which a user U (see FIG. 3A) faces forward during the cleaning operation. The term “rear portion (rear)” refers to the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the chassis 16 (the direction toward the other end in the longitudinal direction) and refers to a moving-backward direction or a distal end portion in a direction in which the back of the user U faces during the cleaning operation.

The cleaning vehicle 10 is configured in a manner so that the user U is arranged so as to be able to walk and the user U operates the chassis 16 to move forward and backward and change course while the user walks on the road surface R. For this reason, a user placement portion 20 for placing the user U is provided at the rear portion of the chassis 16. That is, because the chassis 16 can move with the rotation of the wheel 18 in respect of the forward and backward movements of the chassis 16, the pushing operation and the pulling operation of the chassis 16 by the user U are alleviated. On the other hand, the user U manually operates the chassis 16 to turn the chassis 16. It should be noted that the cleaning vehicle 10 is not limited to such a configuration and may be provided with, at the rear portion of the chassis 16, a user placement portion 20 (a seat, an operation panel, and suchlike (not shown)) on which the user U boards. The user placement portion 20 has an operating handle (gripping portion) that the user U grips even when the user placement portion 20 is of the type that the user U boards.

The chassis 16 of the cleaning vehicle 10 includes a base portion 22 having the user placement portion 20, a dust box 24 detachably provided at the rear portion and on a lower side of the base portion 22, and a cover 26 for covering the front portion and an upper side of the base portion 22.

The base portion 22 of the cleaning vehicle 10 is a structural body (frame, beam, etc.) forming the skeleton of the chassis 16, rotatably supports the brush 14 and the plurality of wheels 18, and fixes the respective elements of the cleaning vehicle 10. Further, the rear portion of the base portion 22 (user placement portion 20) constitutes a highest portion in the height direction in the chassis 16 except for the operating handle 30 described later.

The height of the chassis 16 is preferably set to an appropriate one in light of dust collection performance, the operability for the user U, and suchlike and may be in a range of about 40 cm to 120 cm, for example. In a side view of the chassis 16, while the user placement portion 20 at the rear portion is high, the chassis 16 curves and gradually becomes lower from the user placement portion 20 toward the front portion (see also FIG. 2 ). Further, the shape of the chassis 16 in a plan view is also formed to be wide at the user placement portion 20 and is gradually narrowed from the user placement portion 20 toward the front portion.

The user placement portion 20 includes an operation portion 28 provided on the upper surface or the rear surface of the base portion 22, the operating handle 30 (gripping portion) connected to both side surfaces of the base portion 22 and extending rearward, and an operation handle 32 connected to the rear surface of the dust box 24. The operation portion 28 includes, for example, a start button 28 a (start switching portion) for turning on/off the cleaning vehicle 10, a lever 28 b for operating a vertical position of the brush 14, and a dial 28 c for setting a cleaning mode (a rotational speed of the brush 14 or a rotational speed of the wheels 18).

The operating handle 30 has a pair of arms 30 a extending rearward from both side surfaces of the base portion 22, and a bridging bar 30 b bridging between the extended end portions of the pair of arms 30 a. The user U grips the bridging bar 30 b and moves the chassis 16 during the cleaning operation by the cleaning vehicle 10. The operating handle 30 may be provided with a brake handle (not shown) for braking the chassis 16 under the operation of the user U.

The pair of arms 30 a are provided so as to be pivotable over a predetermined range in the up and down direction of the chassis 16. Further, the pivoting of the pair of arms 30 a is restricted by a fixed structure (not shown). Therefore, by pivoting the pair of arms 30 a, the user U can appropriately adjust and fix the height of the bridging bar 30 b and can grip the bridging bar 30 b at that position. The user U performs a pushing operation or a pulling operation of the bridging bar 30 b for the chassis 16 to travel in the front-rear direction and moves the bridging bar 30 b in the lateral direction to change the direction of (to turn) the vehicle chassis 16. Further, after the cleaning operation is completed, the arms 30 a can be folded to the machine chassis 16 side so as to be housed compactly.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a front wheel 18 f constituting the plurality of wheels 18 is provided at a front portion and a lower portion of the base portion 22. The front wheel 18 f is located at a central position in the width direction of the chassis 16 (the widthwise center line CL: see FIG. 4 ). On the other hand, two (a pair of) rear wheels 18 r constituting the plurality of wheels 18 are provided at the rear portion and at the lower portion of the base portion 22. The pair of rear wheels 18 r are disposed on both sides of the chassis 16 in the width direction and function as drive wheels that are rotationally driven by a later-described motor 48 of the cleaning vehicle 10.

Between the pair of rear wheels 18 r, the dust box 24 having a sufficient volume for collecting dust stirred up by the brush 14 is installed. The dust box 24 is attached to the base portion 22 so as to be able to be pulled out rearward by using the operation handle 32.

The dust box 24 is formed into a concave box body having a collecting space 25 inside by interconnecting a front wall 24 a, a rear wall 24 b, a pair of side walls 24 c, and a bottom wall 24 d. The front wall 24 a is disposed near the brush 14. The rear wall 24 b forms part of the rear surface of the chassis 16 when the base portion 22 is in an attached state. The rear wall 24 b is much higher than the front wall 24 a. Therefore, the upper ends of the pair of side walls 24 c are inclined downward from the rear wall 24 b toward the front wall 24 a. In the dust box 24, an opened portion 25 a communicating with the collecting space 25 is formed by upper ends of the front wall 24 a, the rear wall 24 b, and the pair of side walls 24 c.

A front side of the opened portion 25 a communicates with a dust intake space 34 formed at the lower portion of the base portion 22. The dust removed by the brush 14 is moved from the dust intake space 34 to the collecting space 25 through the opened portion 25 a and accumulated in the collecting space 25. The rear side of the opened portion 25 a communicates with an air inlet 36 provided to the base portion 22, and the air taken in together with the dust flows into the air inlet 36. The dust box 24 or the base portion 22 may be provided with a structure (e.g., labyrinth structure) for dropping into the dust box 24 the dust having moved from the brush 14.

One brush 14 is provided in the dust intake space 34 at an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the chassis 16 (rearward of one front wheel 18 f and forward of two rear wheels 18 r). A diameter of the brush 14 is larger than that of the wheels 18 and is formed in a cylindrical shape (roll shape) extending long in the left-right width direction of the chassis 16. For example, on the peripheral surface of the brush 14, there are provided numerous wire bodies 14 b protruding in the normal direction from a base portion 14 a that is located on the axial center side. The brush 14 rotates while bringing the tips of the numerous wire bodies 14 b into contact with the road surface R, thereby stirring up dust, dirt, snow, and suchlike on the road surface R. A plurality of brushes 14 may be provided at a lower portion of the chassis 16. Further, the shape of the brush 14 is not limited to a cylindrical shape and instead may be a disk shape, an umbrella shape, and suchlike. Further, the cleaning portion according to the present invention is not limited to the brush 14 and instead a mop, sponge, cotton, cloth and suchlike may be employed.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the base portion 22 includes a floor portion 38 that lowers in a substantially stepped manner from the rear portion to the front portion of the chassis 16, a ceiling cowl 40 that covers a portion of the rear portion of the chassis 16 over the floor portion 38, and a pair of side cowls 42 that cover both side surfaces of the floor portion 38 and the ceiling cowl 40. The operation portion 28 is provided on the ceiling cowl 40, and a control device 44 (part of an electrical unit 43) for controlling the operation of the cleaning vehicle 10 is provided on a lower surface side of the ceiling cowl 40. The operating handle 30 (the pair of arms 30 a) described above is coupled to each of the pair of side cowls 42. The rear-lower portions of the pair of side cowls 42 rotatably support a rear axle 19 r of the pair of rear wheels 18 r.

A front edge of the ceiling cowl 40 is positioned slightly behind the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the chassis 16, and a cover 26 is pivotably attached to the front edge. On a further forward side than the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the base portion 22, a space (hereinafter referred to as a cover accommodating space 27) above the floor portion 38 is opened and closed when the cover 26 pivots using hinge portions 26 a 1 described later.

The cover 26 has a ceiling panel 26 a curving downward from the rear portion to the front portion, and a pair of side panels 26 b connected to sides of the ceiling panel 26 a, and these wall portions form the cover accommodating space 27. A pair of hinge portions 26 a 1 (see FIG. 1 ) provided at a rear portion of the ceiling panel 26 a are pivotally supported by the front edge of the ceiling cowl 40. The pair of side panels 26 b are substantially flush with and adjacent to the pair of side cowls 42 of the base portion 22.

On the upper surface of the floor portion 38 of the base portion 22, from a rear portion to a front portion, a PDU 46 (Power Drive Unit: power adjusting portion), a motor 48, and a battery case 50 (battery holding portion) are provided in this order. The chassis 16 is provided with, at a position adjacent to the motor 48 in the width direction, an air supply mechanism 52 for supplying air to the cover accommodating space 27. The PDU 46, the motor 48, a portion (lower portion) of the battery case 50, and the air supply mechanism 52 are covered by the cover 26 when the cover 26 is at the closed position while being exposed to the outside when the cover 26 is at the open position.

The PDU 46 is a component of the electrical unit 43 for driving the brush 14, and appropriately adjusts electric power of the battery 12 accommodated in the battery case 50 and supplies the electric power to the motor 48. When the motor 48 is an AC motor, the PDU 46 is configured to convert the DC power of the battery 12 into three phase AC power and supply the three-phase AC power to the motor 48. The PDU 46 is provided on the rear portion side of the floor portion 38. The floor portion 38 on which the PDU 46 is installed is inclined downward from the rear portion to the front portion and can smoothly guide to the PDU 46 the air supplied from the air supply mechanism 52. The PDU 46 is cooled by this air. Further, because the air supply mechanism 52 is provided at a position sideward of the motor 48, forward of the PDU 46, and rearward of the battery case 50 (and the battery 12) in the cover accommodating space 27, it is possible to efficiently cool the motor 48, the PDU 46, and the battery 12. Although the details of the air supply mechanism 52 will be described later, a centrifugal fan is one example.

The motor 48 is a driving source (a component of the electrical unit 43) for the brush 14 and the pair of rear wheels 18 r and rotates based on the electric power from the battery 12. The motor 48 may be an AC motor or a DC motor as long as it can output an appropriate driving force capable of smoothly rotating the brush 14 and the pair of rear wheels 18 r.

Between the motor 48 and the brush 14, there is provided a brush transmission mechanism portion (not illustrated) for transmitting the rotational driving force of the motor 48. For example, the brush transmission mechanism portion is formed by a plurality of gears meshing with each other. Further, between the motor 48 and the pair of rear wheels 18 r is provided a drive wheel transmission mechanism portion (not shown) for transmitting the rotational driving force of the motor 48. For example, the drive wheel transmission mechanism portion is formed by connecting, with a belt, a pulley provided on the rear axle 19 r extending between a pair of rear wheels 18 r and a pulley provided on the motor 48 side.

The floor portion 38 of the base portion 22 has a flow structure 53 for causing air to flow from the dust intake space 34 in which the brush 14 is arranged to the cover accommodating space 27 in cooperation with the air supply mechanism 52. The flow structure 53 includes a first floor wall 54 that forms a space below in which the dust intake space 34 and the space for the dust box 24 are arranged, and a second floor wall 56 that forms the cover accommodating space 27 above, and the flow structure 53 forms an air passage 58 for air flow between the first floor wall 54 and the second floor wall 56. Both sides of the first floor wall 54 and the second floor wall 56 in the width direction are connected to the pair of side cowls 42.

The rear portion of the first floor wall 54 is inclined at the same inclination angle as the opened portion 25 a of the dust box 24, and the air inlet 36 is provided at an intermediate position of the inclined portion. The air inlet 36 communicates with the air passage 58. The air passage 58 is provided with a filter 60 at a portion facing the air inlet 36. As the filter 60, it is preferable to appropriately employ a filter capable of blocking dust (particle diameter of about 1 μm to 500 μm) while allowing air to pass therethrough.

The rear portion of the second floor wall 56 is inclined in a manner similar to the inclination of the rear portion of the first floor wall 54 and guides the air that has passed through the filter 60 so as to be directed forward. The front portion of the second floor wall 56 includes an air outlet 62 extending horizontally and communicating with the air passage 58. The air outlet 62 is located just above the brush 14. The air outlet 62 is covered by the air supply mechanism 52.

The air supply mechanism 52 includes a covering wall portion 64 facing the air outlet 62, and a fan 66 provided on the covering wall portion 64 and rotating based on the power supply from the battery 12. The covering wall portion 64 is formed slightly higher than the second floor wall 56 and has an air outlet 68 for blowing out air to both the front surface and the rear surface. When the fan 66 rotates, it draws air from the air passage 58 (air outlet 62) into the inside of the covering wall portion 64 and blows air out from the pair of air outlets 68. As a result, clean air is supplied to the cover accommodating space 27 and cools the PDU 46, the motor 48, and the battery case 50.

An exhaust pipe 70 extending in the width direction is provided on the upper surface of the floor portion 38, and an exhaust hole 72 is provided on the cover 26 at a position opposed to the exhaust pipe 70. In the present embodiment, the exhaust pipe 70 and the exhaust hole 72 are positioned sideward of the motor 48 and the air supply mechanism 52 and discharge air from the cover accommodating space 27 to the outside of the chassis 16. That is, the air flowing out from an outlet 68 a on the front side of the air supply mechanism 52 flows forward on the inner side of the cover 26, flows upward, and then flows backward, thereby moving to the exhaust pipe 70 and the exhaust hole 72 and being discharged to the outside. Similarly, the air flowing out from an outlet 68 b on the rear side of the air supply mechanism 52 flows backward on the inner side of the cover 26, flows upward, and then flows forward, thereby moving to the exhaust pipe 70 and the exhaust hole 72 and being discharged to the outside.

Next, the configuration of the battery case 50 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the battery case 50 is provided at the front portion of the chassis 16 (across from the user placement portion 20). When the cover 26 is at the closed position, the upper part of the battery case 50 is exposed to the outer side of the cover 26 while the lower portion of the battery case 50 is housed on the inner side of the cover 26. For this reason, a through hole 27 h through which the battery case 50 can pass is provided at the front portion of the cover 26 where the ceiling panel 26 a curves. The through hole 27 h communicates with the cover accommodating space 27. The through hole 27 h is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the battery case 50 and is set to a size that is such that the cover 26 does not interfere with the battery case 50 even when the cover 26 rotates.

The battery 12 mounted on the battery case 50 is of a general-purpose type that is mounted on various devices in an attachable and detachable manner. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A, the battery 12 has a housing 74 formed in the shape of a prism as a whole and, a handle 74 g gripped by the user U is provided at one end of the housing 74 in the axial direction of the housing 74. The battery 12 includes, in the housing 74, a plurality of battery cells 76 for storing and discharging electric power, and also includes a plurality of terminals 78 capable of inputting and outputting electric power at predetermined positions on the outer surface of the housing 74. The plurality of terminals 78 are provided on an end face on the opposite side (or the same side) to the handle 74 g, for example, and come into contact with a plurality of terminals 50 a provided in the battery case 50 when the battery 12 is housed in the battery case 50.

The battery case 50 is mounted on a spacer 80 (see FIG. 2 ) attached to the base portion 22 (floor portion 38) and outputs electric power from the battery 12 to the PDU 46 when the battery 12 is in a housed state. Within the spacer 80 is provided a junction box for distributing power from the battery 12 to the PDU 46 and other electrical components (the motor 48, the fan 66 of the air supply mechanism 52, the control device 44 of the cleaning vehicle 10, etc.).

The battery case 50 is formed in a rectangular tube shape extending long in the up-down direction (vertical direction) of the chassis 16 in order to house and hold the battery 12, and has a support space 51 inside. The battery case 50 includes four side walls 82 coupled to each other to form the support space 51, and a bottom wall 84 coupled to a lower portion of each side wall 82. The four side walls 82 and the bottom wall 84 define an axis O of the support space 51 and guide the insertion direction of the battery 12. Further, the plurality of terminals 50 a are provided on the surface of the bottom wall 84 on the support space 51 side. While the battery case 50 is held, the plurality of terminals 50 a are in electrical contact with the terminals 78 of the battery 12, whereby electric power can be output to the electrical unit 43.

In the present embodiment, the axis O runs along the vertical direction of the chassis 16, and the battery case 50 supports an upright posture of the battery 12 while the battery 12 is held. At an upper end portion surrounded by the four side walls 82 is provided an opening 86 that communicates with the support space 51 and through which the battery 12 is inserted when the battery 12 is housed. The opening 86 is positioned further forward and upward than the brush 14 and is exposed to the outside of the chassis 16. Because the opening 86 provided at the upper end of the battery case 50 is exposed from the cover 26, the user U of the cleaning vehicle 10 can install the battery 12 without opening the cover 26. The height H of the opening 86 from the road surface R may be set, based on an average height of adult males, at a position where it is not necessary to bend the body greatly when the battery 12 is put in or taken out. For example, the height H of the opening 86 is preferably in the range of 80 cm to 120 cm.

In the present embodiment, the opening 86 stays open even when the battery 12 is not installed (the support space 51 is left open). Thus, the user U can easily put in the battery 12. The opening 86 may be provided with a lid (not shown) that is closed when the battery 12 is not installed, whereby the support space 51 is closed. In this way, the battery case 50 can prevent entry of foreign matter into the support space 51.

The battery case 50 is provided with, at an upper portion of the side walls 82 (front wall 82 a) located at the front side, a front cover 88 that projects further forward than the opening 86. The upper end of the front cover 88 is positioned above the battery 12 while the battery 12 is held. The front cover 88 serves to hide the front upper end portion of the battery 12 in a front view of the chassis 16 and to guide the storage of the battery 12.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the front cover 88 is pivotably provided on the upper portion of the front wall 82 a and exhibits a posture in which the upper end of the front cover 88 is inclined to the front side before the battery 12 is housed therein. Accordingly, in the initial stage of insertion of the battery 12, the user U can place a bottom corner of the battery 12 on the inclined surface (rear surface) of the front cover 88 and insert the battery 12 along the inclined surface of the front cover 88. When the battery 12 enters the opening 86 of the battery case 50, the user U, rotating the front cover 88 and putting the battery 12 in an upright posture, inserts the battery 12 deep into the support space 51. In this manner, the battery case 50 can smoothly guide the battery 12 to the support space 51.

Referring back to FIG. 1 , a lock mechanism 90 is provided at the upper portions of the pair of side walls 82 (left wall 82 b, right wall 82 c) located on the left-right width direction so that the battery 12 accommodated in the support space 51 does not come off. The lock mechanism 90 has a pair of lock plates 90 a that open outward in the width direction when the battery 12 is not installed and close as the battery 12 is inserted.

The arrangement position of each elements of the cleaning vehicle 10 having the battery case 50 described above will be further described with reference to FIG. 4 . The PDU 46, the motor 48, and the battery case 50 are arranged on the inner side of the pair of arms 30 a of the operating handle 30 in the longitudinal direction of the chassis 16. The PDU 46, the motor 48, and the battery case 50 are arranged at positions on the widthwise center line CL of the chassis 16.

Specifically, the battery case 50 (opening 86) is provided on the widthwise center line CL of the chassis 16 and at the front portion of the chassis 16, whereby the battery case 50 (opening 86) is positioned above the front wheel 18 f provided on the chassis 16 (just above the front wheel 18 f). The center of gravity CG of the battery case 50 in a state of holding the battery 12 overlaps the front wheel 18 f in a plan view of the chassis 16 (see also FIG. 2 ). Thus, the cleaning vehicle 10 can apply the weight of the battery 12 and the battery case 50 to the front wheel 18 f during the cleaning operation.

The battery case 50 is positioned further forward than the exhaust pipe 70 and the exhaust hole 72 provided on a side face of the cover 26. Further, the opening 86 of the battery case 50 is positioned above the exhaust pipe 70 and the exhaust hole 72 (see also FIG. 2 ). That is, since the opening 86 of the battery case 50 is disposed at a position sufficiently distant from the exhaust hole 72, it is possible to prevent dust rising because of the air discharged from the exhaust hole 72 from entering the support space 51 through the opening 86.

The cleaning vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment is basically configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the cleaning vehicle 10 is loaded with the battery 12 by the user U at the time of use (before the cleaning operation). At this time, the user U grips the handle 74 g of the battery 12 and moves to a position ahead of the chassis 16 (near the battery case 50). Then, the user U inserts the battery 12 through the opening 86 of the battery case 50. As described above, in the initial stage of insertion of the battery 12, the front cover 88 is inclined and in the insertion process, the front cover 88 is pivoted, whereby the battery 12 can be easily oriented along the axis O (vertical direction) of the battery case 50 (see FIGS. 3B and 3C). The battery 12 enters into the support space 51 on its own weight, and the plurality of terminals 78 can come into contact with the terminals 50 a of the battery case 50 in a fully accommodated state.

After the battery 12 is installed, when the user U turns on the start button 28 a of the operation portion 28, the battery 12 held in the battery case 50 supplies electric power to the electrical unit 43. As a result, the cleaning vehicle 10 is activated to be in an activated state capable of performing cleaning operations. When the user U turns the dial 28 c of the operation portion 28, the control device 44 of the cleaning vehicle 10 recognizes a predetermined cleaning mode and outputs a control command to the junction box and the PDU 46. Based on the power adjustment by the PDU 46, the electric power of the battery 12 is supplied to the motor 48 and rotates the motor 48. In the cleaning vehicle 10, the brush 14 and the rear wheels 18 r rotate under the rotation of the motor 48.

As shown in FIG. 2 , in the dust intake space 34, based on the rotation of the brush 14, the cleaning vehicle 10 stirs up dust (toward the first floor wall 54 side) and further makes air and dust flow backward. The air and dust flow into the dust box 24 located further rearward than the brush 14, and dust is collected in the collecting space 25.

The air having flowed into the collecting space 25 moves from the air inlet 36 at the upper portion of the collecting space 25 to the air passage 58. At this time, the air passes through the filter 60, removing the dust contained in the air. The air that has passed through the filter 60 moves forward in the air passage 58 based on the rotation (suction and negative pressure) of the fan 66 of the air supply mechanism 52. Then, the airflows, via the air outlet 62 and the covering wall portion 64, from the outlets 68 a and 68 b at the front and rear sides of the air supply mechanism 52 to the cover accommodating space 27.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , this air flows forward and backward in the cover accommodating space 27 and also flows in the width direction of the chassis 16, thereby effectively cooling the PDU 46, motor 48, and a lower portion (a portion accommodated on the inner side of the cover 26) of the battery case 50. The air having flowed in the cover accommodating space 27 is discharged to the outer side of the cover 26 through the exhaust pipe 70 and the exhaust hole 72 provided on the side face of the chassis 16. Therefore, air does not reach the opening 86 of the battery case 50 and thus foreign matter is prevented from entering the battery case 50.

Further, since the opening 86 of the battery case 50 is positioned above and further forward than the brush 14, it is possible to prevent the entering of the dust that has been raised from the road surface R by the rotation of the brush 14. Further, the weight of the battery 12 and the battery case 50 is applied to the front wheel 18 f during the cleaning operation. Thus, in the cleaning vehicle 10, the lifting of the front wheel 18 f is suppressed and the brush 14 can be brought into stable contact with the road surface R.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made according to the gist of the invention. For example, the arrangement of various electrical unit 43 (PDU 46, motor 48) provided further rearward than the battery case 50 is not particularly limited; the motor 48 and PDU 46 may be arranged in this order from the rear to the front.

Further, as in the variation shown in FIG. 5 , the axis O of the battery case 50 may be inclined in a manner so that the opening 86 is positioned forward of the lower portion (bottom wall 84) of the battery case 50. Since the inclination is such that the opening 86 is positioned forward, the user U can more easily put the battery 12 in the battery case 50.

The technical ideas and effects that can be understood from the above embodiments will be described below.

One aspect of the present invention is the cleaning vehicle 10 including: the chassis 16; the cleaning portion (brush 14) provided at a lower portion of the chassis 16 to clean a road surface R; the user placement portion 20 provided further rearward than the cleaning portion (brush 14) at the chassis 16 and including the gripping portion 30 that is gripped by a user U; the electrical unit 43 configured to drive the cleaning portion (brush 14); and the battery holding portion (battery case 50) configured to hold the attachable and detachable battery 12 and thereby supply electric power from the battery 12 to the electrical unit 43, wherein the battery holding portion (battery case 50) includes the opening 86 through which the battery 12 is inserted, and the opening 86 is exposed to an outside of the chassis 16 at a position further forward than the cleaning portion (brush 14).

According to the above, the cleaning vehicle 10 exposes the opening 86 of the battery holding portion (battery case 50), whereby the battery 12 can be easily attached and detached. Further, since the opening 86 is positioned forward of the cleaning portion (brush 14), the cleaning vehicle 10 can prevent the battery holding portion (or battery 12) from being fouled by dust stirred up by the operation of the cleaning portion (brush 14) during the cleaning operations.

The opening 86 is located above the cleaning portion (brush 14). The cleaning vehicle 10 can further prevent the holding portion (battery case 50) from being fouled because the opening 86 of the holding portion (battery case 50) is located above the cleaning portion (brush 14)—this is because the dust stirred up by the cleaning portion (brush 14) floats near the cleaning portion (brush 14) and falls downward.

The battery holding portion (battery case 50) includes the axis O that defines the insertion direction for the battery 12, and the axis O is inclined in a manner so that the opening 86 is located further forward than the lower portion of the battery holding portion or is in the vertical direction. Thus, the cleaning vehicle 10 can further separate the opening of the battery holding portion from the cleaning portion (brush 14) than in a configuration in which the opening of the battery holding portion is installed in a horizontal direction or the like, and can further prevent the raised dust from adhering to the opening 86 or the battery 12 itself.

Further, at least part of the battery holding portion (battery case 50) is provided on the inner side of the cover 26 that forms the chassis 16, and the opening 86 is provided so as to project out from the cover 26. As a result, the cleaning vehicle 10 can further prevent dirtying of part of the battery holding portion accommodated on the inner side of the cover 26.

Further, the opening 86 is provided above the front wheel 18 f provided to the chassis 16. As a result, in the cleaning vehicle 10, the battery 12 can be more easily attached to and detached from the front side of the chassis 16, and the opening 86 is less likely to be fouled while the chassis 16 is traveling.

Further, the center of gravity CG of the battery holding portion (battery case 50) in a state of holding the battery 12 is located at a position overlapping the front wheel 18 f in a plan view of the chassis 16. Thus, the cleaning vehicle 10 can stably support the battery 12 held in the holding portion by the front wheel 18 f.

Further, the chassis 16 is provided with the drive wheel (rear wheel 18 r) located further rearward than the cleaning portion (brush 14). Although there is a case where the front of the chassis 16 is lifted off the ground by the drive wheels, the cleaning vehicle 10 has the battery holding portion (battery case 50) and the battery 12, which are heavy objects, forward of the cleaning portion (brush 14), whereby the cleaning vehicle 10 can prevent itself from being lifted and make the cleaning portion (brush 14) stably contact the road surface R. Further, by detaching the battery 12 when the cleaning vehicle 10 is not in the cleaning operations, the front portion of the chassis 16 can be lightened. Therefore, the user U can easily move and turn the cleaning vehicle 10 by lifting the front portion of the chassis 16 around the rear wheels 18 r and smoothly return the cleaning vehicle 10 to a warehouse or the like.

The electrical unit 43 includes the motor 48 that rotates the cleaning portion (brush 14) and the power adjusting portion (PDU 46) that adjusts the electric power supplied from the battery 12 to the motor 48, and the battery holding portion, the motor 48, and the power adjusting portion are provided on the widthwise inner side of the pair of gripping portions (arms 30 a) that are gripped by the user U. As described above, by providing the motor 48 and the power adjusting portion, which are heavy objects of the electrical unit 43, on the widthwise inner side of the pair of gripping portions, the operability of the gripping portions by the user U can be enhanced.

The battery holding portion (battery case 50), the motor 48, and the power adjusting portion (PDU 46) are provided at positions including the widthwise center line CL of the chassis 16. As described above, the motor 48 and the power adjusting portion, which are heavy objects of the electrical unit 43, are provided at positions including the widthwise center line CL of the chassis 16, whereby the cleaning vehicle 10 is balanced in the width direction and can improve turning performance.

The exhaust hole 72 communicating with a space in which the motor 48 or the power adjusting portion (PDU 46) is disposed is provided, and the opening 86 is located further forward than the exhaust hole 72. As a result, the cleaning vehicle 10 can enhance the heat radiation performance of the motor 48 or the power adjusting portion and prevent the battery holding portion (battery case 50) and the battery 12 from being fouled.

The opening 86 is located above the exhaust hole 72. As described above, since the opening 86 is located above the exhaust hole 72, the cleaning vehicle 10 can further prevent the dirtying cause by air discharged from the exhaust hole 72. 

1. A cleaning vehicle comprising: a chassis; a cleaning portion provided at a lower portion of the chassis to clean a road surface; a user placement portion provided further rearward than the cleaning portion at the chassis and including a gripping portion that is gripped by a user; and an electrical unit configured to drive the cleaning portion, further comprising a battery holding portion configured to hold an attachable and detachable battery and thereby supply electric power from the battery to the electrical unit, wherein the battery holding portion includes an opening through which the battery is inserted, and the opening is exposed to an outside of the chassis at a position further forward than the cleaning portion.
 2. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the opening is located above the cleaning portion.
 3. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery holding portion includes an axis that defines an insertion direction of the battery, and the axis is inclined in a manner so that the opening is located further forward than a lower portion of the battery holding portion or is in a vertical direction.
 4. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the battery holding portion is provided on an inner side of a cover that forms the chassis, and the opening is provided so as to project out from the cover.
 5. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the opening is provided above a front wheel provided to the chassis.
 6. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a center of gravity of the battery holding portion in a state of holding the battery is located at a position overlapping the front wheel in a plan view of the chassis.
 7. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the chassis is provided with a drive wheel located further rearward than the cleaning portion.
 8. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electrical unit includes a motor that rotates the cleaning portion and a power adjusting portion that adjusts electric power supplied from the battery to the motor, and the battery holding portion, the motor, and the power adjusting portion are provided on a widthwise inner side of a pair of gripping portions that are gripped by the user.
 9. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the battery holding portion, the motor, and the electric power adjusting portion are provided at positions including a widthwise center line of the chassis.
 10. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising an exhaust hole communicating with a space in which the motor or the electric power adjusting portion is disposed, wherein the opening is located further forward than the exhaust hole.
 11. The cleaning vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the opening is located above the exhaust hole. 